Air-valve.



Patented Jan. 29, |90l.

J. l, now. AIR VALVE. (A-pplication led Sept. 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

'NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN I. ROW, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY G.COOK, OF SAME PLACE.

Al R-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 666,887, dated January29, 1901.

Application led September 19, 19,00. Serial No. 30,474. (No model.)

To all whom, t nca/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I. ROW, of the city of Rochester, in the countyof Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air- Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, audto the reference characters marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved air-valveadapted particularly to be used upon inated or pneumatic tires forbicycles or other vehicles, in which the parts are easily constructedand adapted to permit a free passage of air into the tire and aord aneffectual check against its outward passage therefrom.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through avalve constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similarview of a valve, showing its method of attachment to a tire; and Fig. 3is a bottom plan view of the valve shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similarparts. v

Valves constructed in accordance with myA invention embody an outertubular casing or valve-body 1, adapted to be inserted in the usualtubular valve-stem of a bicycle-tire,and intermediate its extremitiesare provided annular notches or depressions 2 to assist in se' curingthe device in place when the customary Winding of wire or thread isapplied around the stem. The interior of the valve body or casing l isformed with a central portion or base 3 and the opposite ends of thebody being somewhat larger in diameter than the former, making thechambers 4 and 5 at the upper and lower ends of the body, respectively,and forming upon each end of the central portion 3 the shoulder 6.Arranged Within the former and projecting beyond the shoulder is a pieceof small elastic rubber tubing 7, which is inserted by stretching thelatter, drawing it through the restricted portion of the casing, andthen .cutting it the required length, allowing the ends to retract tothe position shown, the outer circumference .of the tube iitting closelyagainst the inside of the casing. Located in the chamber 5 is a ball 8,movable freely therein and adapted to coperate with the end of therubber tube and form a seat thereon to prevent the outward escape ofair. A small nut 9, having an aperture 10 in its center, is threadedinto the lower end of the chamber and confines 'the ball therein, and toprevent the valve from being closed against the inward passage of airduring the operation of infiating the tire by the ball engaging theupper edge of the aperture I provide bypassages l1 by flattening thesides of the nut 9, as shown in Fig. 3. In the chamber l, at the upperend of the casing, is also provided a nut 12, inserted to protect theupper end of the tube 7 and provided with the central aperture 13. A cap14, having the threaded stem 15, is adapted to be secured into thechamber 4 to close the casing, and as an additional closure for thevalve I form a conical tip 16 upon the stem intended as the latter isinserted to engage the upper edge of the aperture in the nut 12. Thisseat being small in area and the parts composed of a soft metal, such asbrass, they may be secured together with sut'- iicient force to preventany leakage of air between them, andthe omission of packing or washersremoves the liability of the cap sticking, making it difficult toremove, or of the washers or packing becoming worn or frayed,

vso as to obstruct the passage in the valve.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a form of my valve adapted to be used in lieu ofthe usual tubular stem on the tire and in which the valvecasing isintended to be attached directly to the tire, (indicated by A,) asuitable aperture having been provided upon the inner circumference forthe insertion of the valvecasing. In this arrangement of the device thecasing 1 is providedy with an exterior thread 2l, extending upward fromits lower end, as shown, and upon which are secured the nuts 22 and 23,adapted to be clamped upon the inner and outer sides, respectively, ofthe tire A, a suitable packing-washer 24C being located between theinner side of the tire and the nut 22 anda thin metallic washer 25 beingprovided between the tire and the nut 23. In applying this form of thevalve to a tire the nut 22 may be secured upon the IOO lower end of theeasing with the packingwasher 24 above it, when both these parts may beinserted through the aperture in the tire. A small quantity ofliquid-rubber cement may then be injected between the parts and thewasher 25 and nut 23 applied upon the exterior, the latter being screweddown Ato securely engage and slightly compress the portion of the tiresurrounding the valvestem, making an air-tight joint or connectionbetween the latter and the side of the tire.

To inflate a tire provided with my valve, the cap l5 is first removed,permitting the pump-nozzle to be applied, when air may be forced intothe tire. Unless the tire is entirely empty the ball 8 will be held bythe outward pressure of air in the tire against the seat upon the lowerendof the rubber tube 7 and upon each inward rush of air will bedislodged to permit its passage, as will be readily understood. When itis desired to deate the tire, the ball S may be held from engagementwith its seat by means of a small pin, match, or similar instrument.

Valves constructed in accordance with my invention are simple, and,consisting of few parts, may be easily manufactured and are adapted tobe used upon any form of inflatable devices. The restricted passagebetween the chambers upon the opposite ends of the valve-casing formingthe shoulders at their ends over which the ends of the rubber tube areexpanded serves to securely engage the latter and prevent any possibleescape of air between the tube and the sides of the casing, and byallowing a free movement of the ball in the chamber the air can alwaysbe easily applied or released.

I claim as my inventionl. In a valve, the combination with the casinghaving a smaller and a larger diameter, the entrance to the formerconstituting an annular shoulder, and an elastic tube arranged in thesmaller diameter and having its end extending into the larger diameter,of a ball larger than the smaller diameter of the casing, operating inthe larger'diameter and adapted to extend within the tube to expand thelatter over the shoulder and the nut having the passage and screwinginto the larger diameter of the casing to hold the ball.

2. In a valve the combination with a tilbular casing having the chamberat its inner end, and the restricted passage extending above the latter,of an elastic tube frictionally engaging the sides of said passagesecuring the tu be therein having its inner end forming an annularshoulder in the outer end of the chamber, a ball movable freely in thechamber adapted to be held against the shoulder by air-pressure andforming a scat thereon and closing the valve, and a nut provided withthe aperture and having the flattened sides forming air-passages,screwed into the chamber to prevent the removal of the ball.

3. In a valve the combination with a tubular valve-casing havingchambers at its upper and I lower ends, the restricted passage betweenthem, and an elastic -tube located in the latter having its endsprojecting into the chambers and forming shoulders therein, of the ballfreely movable in the chamber upon the lower end of the valve, means forretaining the ball in the chamber, and a nuthaving the air-passagethreaded into the chamber above the tube and a closure for said casing.

4. In a valve the combination with a tubular casing provided with thechambers at its opposite-ends and having a restricted passage extendingbetween them forming the shoulders at the ends of the chambers, and apiece of elastic tubing located in said passage, having its endsprojecting beyond the shoulders and expanding against the sides of thechambers forming annular elastic shoulders therein, of a ball arrangedin the chamber upon the lower end of the valve-casing, means forretaining it in the chamber, a nut having the central aperture securedin the chamber above the tube and a cap or closure for said casinghaving the stem provided with the conical end adapted to engage the edgeof the aperture in the nut.

5. In a valve the combination with the tubular easing having a passageand an enlarged chamber at the bottom thereof, of au elastic tubearranged in the passage having its end extending into the enlargedchamber and a movable valve arranged in the chamber and cooperating withthe lower end of the elastic tube.

G. In a valve the combination with the tubular casing having a smallerand a larger internal diameter the latter forming a chamber, of anelastic tube located in the smaller portion of the easing and extendinginto the larger diameter or chamber and normally or when expanded largerthan the smaller diameter thereof, and a ball-valve arranged in thechamber and adapted to cooperate with the end of thetube.

JOHN I. RO NV.

lVitnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, WALTER B. PAYNE.

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